Switch mechanism



Dec. 15, 1953 w. FISHER 2,662,941

SWITCH MECHANISM Filed May 20, 1952 IN VEN T 0R.

il lwmlf BY P F 5:

Patented Dec. 15, 1953 a UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Electric Game Company, a corporation of Massachusetts Holyoke, Mass,

Application May 20, 1952, Serial No. 288,841

'2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to electrical apparatus and is directed to a switch device which is normally open and adapted to simultaneously close plural circuits.

The principal objects of the invention are directed to a switch device which is adapted and arranged to simultaneously close plural circuits and according to novel features of the invention it is so con tructed as to be economically produced so that it is useful in the manufacture of games and the like, although not limited thereto.

Ali of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and side elevational views of a switch device embodying the novel features of the invention; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 3- of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

A support is represented by 2 which may take any form desired. As has been stated, the switch device of the invention is adapted for use in games commonly called electric games which have supporting members formed from cardboard and circuits for low voltages.

The support 2 therefor may be made from cardboard and have several of the switch devices indicated by 4 associated therewith.

A primary contactor 6 is secured at its rear end to the support by a metallic rivet 8 or the like which rivet is adapted for connection in an electrical circuit or circuits.

The contactor 6 is formed from strip metal such as copper which is springlike and is shaped so as to normally assume an inclined circuit open position, as shown.

A manually engageable button it) is provided on the outer free end of the contactor which may be engaged for depressing the contactor to circuit closing position.

A forward primary contact I2 is carried by the support 2 and may be in the form of a metallic rivet. Other rear secondary contacts l4 and I3 are similar to the contact [2, are relatively spaced transversely and disposed rearwardly of said contact l2.

The arm 6 may be connected in a circuit by means of member 8 and the contacts i2, I l and 16 may be connected in a circuit or circuits for various purposes.

A secondary contactor i8 is provided which is disposed transversely on the contactor G and has extremities 2E and 22 for engaging contacts M and [6.

An insulating washer 24 is disposed between the primary and secondary contactors for insulating them and an insulating washer 25 is disposed on the contactor i3. A rivet 28 extends through the contactors and washers and has end portions 38 bent over onto washer 26 to hold the parts in firm engagement.

The end portions or extremities 2c and 22 of the secondary contactor incline downwardly relative to the primary contactor for engaging the secondary contacts I 3 and 16.

The parts are arranged whereby as the primary contactor is depressed from its normally circuit open position to circuit closing position, the outer end of said contactor and the extremities of the secondary contactor engage the contacts therebelow simultaneously thereby to simultaneosly close the circuits in which the primary contactor and contacts are included.

The device is economical to produce and efficient in operation and is particularly adapted for use in connection with electric games of all kinds where low voltages and low current flow are employed.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What it is desired to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A single throw electric switch device for a board game or the like comprising in combination, a flat relatively thin support formed from cardboard-like material, an elongated primary contactor having a rear end foot portion rigidly secured to said support by metallic means adapted for connection in a circuit, said primary contactor formed from a strip of relatively thin and narrow resilient metal to have a free end portion inclining normally upwardly and forwardly away from said foot portion and being manually dcpressible downwardly to a lower contacting position, a primary contact for connecting in a circuit secured to said support forwardly of the rear end of the primary contactor and disposed to be engaged by the forward end of the contactor in lower contacting position thereof, a pair of secondary contacts for connecting in a circuit secured to said support in spaced relation intermediate opposite ends of the primary contactor and at opposite sides thereof, a secondary con-- tactor formed from a strip of relatively narrow and thin strip of resilient metal disposed transversely of said primary contactor intermediate opposite ends thereof, and insulating means between said contactors and means securing said insulating means and contactors together, opposite ends of said secondary contactor declining downwardly from opposite sides or" said primary contactor arranged for yielding engagement with the secondary contacts in lower position of the primary contactor.

2. A switch device according to claim 1 wherein the primary contactor is provided with a manually engageable member between the forward end thereof and said secondary contactor.

W'ILLIAM FISHER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,313,019 Schmitz Aug. 12, 1919 2,507,381 Morse May 9, 1950 

